Magneto-machine for use in connection with the ignition systems of internal-combustion engines.



R. F. HALL. HAGNBTO MACHINE FOR USE IN GONNECTIUN WITH THE IGNITIONSYSTEMS OF INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

I APPLICATION FILED AUG. 22, 1908.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

u Q E WITNESSES I INVENTOB Z WaZWfflGt/Z R. FLHALL. MAGNETO MACHINE FORUSE IN CONNECTION WITH THE IGNITION SYSTEMS OF INTERNAL COMBUSTIONENGINES;

APPLIOATIOK FILED we. 22, 1908;

984,368. Patented Feb. 141911.

8 SHEET$-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR RoZerfZJYwZZ.

R. F. HALL.

MAGNETO MAGHINE FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH THE IGNITION SYSTEMS OFINTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES, APPLICATION FILED AUG.2Z, 1908.

984,368. Patented Feb. 14, 1911.

8 BHEETS-SHEET 3.

wrmssszs N. v INVENTOR Q? -EOZQWZZZFikZJ I .2 KA %%M% 1 d v R. PQHALL.

MAGNBTO MACHINE. FOR USE IN UONNEGTION WITH THE IGNITION SYSTEMS OFINTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 22, 1908.

Patented Feb. 14, 1911.

8 SHEETSSHEET 1.

wn'nzssts mvsuron R F. HALL. MAGNETO MACHINE FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITHTHE IGNITION SYSTEMS OF INTERNAL GOM BUSTIGN ENGINES.

7 urmommx mum AUG. 22, 190s. 7 984,368 Patented Feb. 14-, 1911.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

i) WITNESSES INVENY'QR W; g g 7, FOZQY'ZQZJ R. F. HALL. HAGNETO MACHINEFOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH THE IGNITION SYSTEMS OF INTERNAL COMBUSTIONENGINES.

'APPLIOATION I'ILED we. 22, 1908.

. 984,368; Patented Feb. 14. 1911.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

R. F. HALL. MAGNETO MACHINE FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH THE IGNITIONSYSTEMS OF INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 22, 1908.

Patented Feb.14,1911.

8 SHEETEr-SHEBT 7.

WITNESSES ww INVENTOR oZerfIIabZl 5 M R. F. HALL. MAGNETO MACHINE FORUSE IN CONNECTION WITH THE IGNITION SYSTEMS OF INTERNAL COMBUSTIONENGINES.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 22, 1908.

Patented Feb. 14, 1911.

8 SHEETS -SEEET 8.

- INVENTOR job'erff fazl. I

WITNESSES UNITED STATE PATENT OFFIQE' ROBERT FREDERICK HALL, OF MOSELEY,NEAR BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

NMEEZETO MACHINE FOR USE IN CONNEGTION WITH THE IGNITION SYSTEMS ()F IINTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent,

Patented Feb. tel, 191 1.

Application filed August 22, 1908. Serial No. 449,854.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, l-toninrr Fnsnnmor; Hahn, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain, residing at l erndale, Church Road, Moseley. nearBirmingham, England, have invented certain new and use'tul- Improvementsin MagnetoMachines for in Connection with the ignition Systems ofInternal-tombustion l ine incs, of which the tolloiving is a s1.eciiiration.

This invention has reference to magneto machines for use in connectionwith thehigh-- tension ignition systems of internal co1nbastion engines,and has tor its principal object, to provide a self-contained magnetomachine, or a self-contained and combined apparatus 'iior geiusratingand distributing high tension current, which is designed and adapted togreatly facilitate and simplify the application and use of what iscommonly known as dual or mixed high-tension ignition systems in whichprovision is made for tiring); the charges in the cylinders-of an engine through the medium of a single set oi? sparking plugs which aresupplied in succession with high tension current that is generatedeither by the maajneto or by a battery and induction coil which may beused in place of the said magneto under certain comlitions. Theadvantages ot'this dual or mixed ignition system, as is well known, aretihat the battery and coil are/available for stealing up the engine,which cannot be coi'ivenicntly done with the magneto, that by the useoi. a trembler coil and means for actuating same it is frequentlypossible to start up the engine from the switch without any manualetlortwhatever; and that the magneto is available when running at highsl'iccds under which conditions it is niuch more eliective than a coil.Further, with such mixed system the coil and battery are available, as astand-by for effective use in firing the engine in the event of anybrealcdown of the magneto, although, on the other hand, the'engines canalways be run with the magneto alone should the battery and coil bethrown out of action. When the magneto is used as part of a dual ormixed ignition it is usually combined with a change-over switch whereby,when the coil and liattcr v' are placed in serviee, the man'- nei'o iscut out of circuit. and vice-vcrszi. and further, in the known arraniemei'its for working with the double system, the lowtension contactbreaker in the battery and coil circuit is altogether separate from themagneto and distributer, and no effective provision is made for moving;the said dis tributer in synchronisni with the contact breaker of thelow tension magneto circuit for advancing or retarding the ignition whentiring with magneto ignition, or tor moving said distributor insynchronism with the contact breaker of the battery circuit when coilignition is being used.

The rombined and self-contained mag-- neto arrangement although capableof being used alone as the generator of a simple hightension ignitionsystem, is mainly adapted to tacilitatc'tho employment of the dualhigh-tension system, and its control by a single changebver switch, andcomprises, in the said self-contained combination, a high-tensionmagneto generator whose armature carries both the primary and second arywindings of the niagneto circuits, a hightension current distributorwhich serves in common for both the magneto and the coil, acontaet-breaker for the low-ten sion magneto circuit and a separate orelectrically-distinct cont'act-lneaker for the bat.- tery circuit; thesaid distributor and the two contact-brcahers being, however,mechanically connected so as to admit of their synchronic movement foradvancing: and retarding the ignition irrespective of whether thehigh-tension current is being supplied by the magneto or by the coil andbattery.

My invention also-has several additional or secondary objects, one ofwhich is to permanently and etlectually combine all thettbtH'Q-lilfllitlfilltti esential parts 01' the dual magneto and batteryignitionsystem in a single self-contained machine or apparatus which iscapable oi being readily applied to existing engines or cars. or may beadapted thereto without involi'ing any ma tcrial alteration in thedynamo, irrespective "of the number of cylinders to be tired or whetherthe engine is suitable for driving-if the armature oi the dynamo in theclockwise or counter clock-wise directions,

Another object is to provide for the arrangement of a eai drivenhigh-tension distributer (a conibiinn'l gear driven dis tribuler andauxiliary contact. l'n'ealcer for a coil bur-terxsion circuit) in eithern verti rail or an inclined position with respect to themagneto, and insuch a manner t rat the .visully checkingsaid distributor can be easilydetached and replaced when required.

it. further object is to provide improved means for advancing orretarding the ignition. such means being adapted to simultaneously actupon both the low-tension contact breaker of the magneto and .npon thehigh tension distributer, in addition to whichit is also operative withregard to the battery low-tension contact-breaker that is combined withthe said distribnter so that the same advance and retard mechanism isavailable for use when the engine is being tired from the coil andbattery elements of the group, as when it is'being fired from themagneto. And a still further object is to make provision for checking oradjusting the timing and setting of the magneto armature relative to theengine crank shaft without involving the dis.

mantling of any of the parts of the said magneto, as is usuallynecessary.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents a. combined machineconstructed in accordance with my invention, and showing how the saidinvention is applied Where the distributor and the coil contact-breakerare arranged in a vertical positionor have their movable elements drivenby a shaft which is disposed vertically with reference to the armatureshaft. Fig. 2 is a section of the machine showing the arrangement of themagneto contact breaker, the distributer and the coil contact-breaker;also. the me ehanical connections between these parts and the meanswhich provide for the advance and retard of the ignition. Fig. 3 is afront elevation of the machine, showing how the angularlvadjustablecasing of the magneto contact-breaker is linked up with the actuatingmechanism of the ignition advance and retard system. Fig. t is a backelevation of the. machine, partly in section, and showing howthe-distributor and the cam of the coil contact-breaker are driven bygear from the armature shaft. F ig. 5 is a horizontal section takenthrough the dis tributcr upon the dotted line a; of Fig. 2, and showingthe arrangement of the coilcontact-hreaher and its actuating cam. F 6 isa view illustrating the complete dctachability of the distributor andcontactbrealter unit from the body of the machine and from the drivingmechanism. Fig. 6 is a section on the line 0; of Fig. 1 showing the gearconnections between the spindle of the arma are and the distributingshaft for driving the latter from the former. Fig. 7 is a diagram of theconnections, and Figs. S, 9 and 10 are diagrammatic views illustratingthe method and means provided for and adjusting (when necessary) thesetting of the magneto armature. l" 11 and 12 show an elevation and asection or a modified or alternative form in which the distributor isarranged in a inclined position.

The improved machine or combined a paratns is, as already stated capableof be-- ing constructed in one or other of two dil ferent forms,diti'ering only in the position and arrangement of the distributorrelati v to the magneto proper and in the nat of the gearing whichprovided for than ing the distributer shaft from the main or armatureshaft. tributer may either be arranged in a Verti cal position attherear or drive end at the magneto as shown'in Figs. 1 to 6, and hebearranged in an inclined position as shown'in Figs. 11 and 12, in whichcase its shaft is driven from the armature shaft by bevel gears. The twodifferent or flll'tl'fl;.-

usual way, being provided with primary low-tension and secondaryhiglrtensimi windings, so that. when the machine is in use as part of adual ignition system, it may be'applied as indicated in the diagram ctconnections, Fig. 7, in which the high-tern sion winding 0. of themagneto armature (z and the high-tension winding of the coil 0,terminate in a change-over switch 7) whereby either the magneto or thecoil may be connected up with the high-tension feeder ofthe distributer(Z. In like manner, the low-tension or primary windings c 5- of themagneto and coil also terminate at the switch 6, which is adapted whenthe engin is being fired oil' the magneto to cut out the coil andbattery elements of the J an altogether and, to connect up the lowtenreturn through the frame 0, c whereas when it is desired to fire theengine from the coil, the actuation of the said switch changes over theconnections so as to connect up the coil high-tension circuit with thedistributer J close the-Trail low-tension circuit and simultaneouslyto'shorhcircuit the primary armature winding and thus render the magneto,contact-brealnn: inoperative andv prevent the induction of anliighlcnsion current by the armature which is, of course, still drivenby the engine. As will be seen from the said diagram, the hightensionfeeder (Z of the single distributor d That is to say, the at;

driven by Worm or skew gearing, or it may tive forms do not involvealterations other a:

The armature a isconstructed in the the 51011 magneto winding a with anearth stood in view of the followingeiplana- .tion. The switch bis ofthe three-position typc ,-'an;d includes two pairs of contact members,thefirs't pair, I) and b establishing .the various conditions of thehigh tension circuits and the second pair 7) and 6* establishing thevarious conditions of the low tension circuits- The switch I) is movedwith relation to the following terminals, viz. a high tension magnetoterminal I), a terminal Z) of the high tension feed wire of thedistributer, a high tension battery and coil terminal 7), a magneto .lowtension terminal 72 a low tension ground (frame) terminal/b and abattery terminal I). The

off position of the switch is at ,the left liand'limit of its movementas shown, when the drawings only are considered. In the central positionof the switch the member 7/ connects the terminals If; and b and-themember I) eonnects the terminals b and b". In this case'the firing iseffected from the high tension circuit of the magneto; the low tensionmagneto circuit is grounded through the frame parts 6 and e and thebattery and coil high and low tension circuits are open. In the thirdposition of the switch, themember 71 connects the terminals 7) and 7)and the member b connects the terminals b and b, and i and b In thiscase, the engine is fired from the high tension circuit of the batteryand coil system, the low tension circuit of the battery and coil systemis closed, the high tension circuit of the magneto system is open andthe low tension circuit of the magneto system remains as in the secondposition of the switch. The armature is entirely inclosed and is keyedto a spindle which is supported on ball bearings, as shown in Fig. 2 andis adapted to be connected with the engine at the rear or drive endwhile to provide for the driving of the distributor, the said drive endof the, shaft titted with a skew or worm gear 9 that arranged to meshwith a similar gear 7 on the low'er part of the distributer shaft, gwhich is disposed in a vertical position at the drive end of themachine, so that its lower extremity may extend into'and be inclosed bya gear and bearing box on the armature casing and be supported by footstep ball bearings g which are also inclosed in the same box, as shownin detail in Fig. 6. The skew gear is arranged to drive the distributorshaft at a reduced speed relative to the armature shaft, according tothe number of cylinders to be tired, while one (or both) of the gears ismade detachable and interchangeable with another gear or gears ofdifferentsize so to enable the machine to bQ readily adapted foruse withan ignition system. for four or sixor other number of cylinders.

The distributer shaft (as well as certain parts of the spark-advance andretard mechanism hereinafter describ d) is inclosed in a stationarysleeve g which is detachably mounted upon the gear and bearing box andserves as a support or pedestal for the dis tributer as well as for asecond contact breaker h, which is inclosed within the glasswalleddistributer casing (Z and is adapted to be connected up in the primaryotzlowtension circuit of the coil part of a dual system, as shown in thediagram, and to be operated or controlled by a cam h that is mounted onand rotates with the said distributer shaft. The parts that are inclosedwithin the glass cylinder. and are consequently visible when in action,include the hightension feed brush (Z that brings in higlntensioncurrent either from magneto or the coil, as the case may be, thedistributor brushes (.Z that are connected up respectively with thesparking plugs of the engine cylin; ders, the rotary contact plate (Z ofthe distributor, the coil-contact breaker is. and its operatingcam h Thewhole of these inclosed parts are visiblewhen in operation through theglass walls ofthe casing, and further, they may be bodily detached fromthe machine by providing the base (F of said casing with a tubularextension (Z which sockets into the upper end of the stationary sleeveor support 5 and secured therein by a clip that is formed at the upperend of said support; also by construct ing the distributor shaft in twofeathered parts, or by providing the; rotary distrilmter plate andcontact-breaker cam with a sleevelike extension (Z which is adapted tosocket over the upper end of the distributer shaft, preferably by meansof a system of washers or rings a? whose inner edges are formed withtongues or key=pieces (F that are adapted to extend through a suitableslot in the extension (Z of the distributer plate and to engage with agroove or featherway (Z in the shaft. These keying washers arepreferably secured on the extension by a split ring (Z or like device.Fig. 6 illus trates how the parts may be separated when the clip g isunfastened.

The distributer plate consists of a disk'd of, vulcanite or likenon-eonducting material which is fitted with a metallic sector orcontact-piece d which is in permanent connection, through thespring-mtluomred carbonfeed brush'rl with the high tension circuit,(either ofthe magneto or of the battery coil) and which is also adaptedto pass in succession under, the other brushes which are respectivelyconnected with the engine plugs.

of the casing, and the said top-plate is de- The whole of the carbonbrushes are ,7

mountedin the ebonite top-plate or cover (1 5 for any type of engine bythe application 01;

a cover carrying 'four, six or other number of brushes. The contactpiece on the dis tributer plate (Z is also detachable to admit of thesubstitution or application of a pieie of greater or less width to suitthe number of distributing brushes and to make it impossible for thesaid contact to be in simultaneous circuit with two brushes whileproviding the necessary range of relative move- 5 ment that is requiredin order to advance or retard the ignition. This combination with thehigh tension distributor which is common to both magneto and coilignitions of a separate or independent contact-breaker that 0 forms partof the coil system, and is additional to the lowtension contact-breaker2' on the magneto, constitutes the principal feature of my invention, asit greatly facilitates and simplifies the application and use ot thedual ormixed ignition system in connection with automobiles and thelike, and in, addition to reducing the number of parts and enabling allthe mechanical elements of the system to be grouped in a p actical andcti'ective manner in a single 1na'Chih0,'it; en-

ables the contact breaker and its cam to be ettectively incloscd andprotected while still being visible when in action, and further itadmits of the two contact breakers, orcither of them, and thedistributor being moved in 'synchronism for advancingor retarding theignition, although both contact breakers are nevertheless completelyindependent so that, as already stated, no failure or defect in the 40one can in any wayinfluence the working of the other, while in advancingor retarding the ignition, the glass-walled using and the whole of thehigh tension cables remain stationary so that the rotatory distributcror feeder plate (Z and the camh are the only parts that are moved whenthe ignition'time is altered.

The contact breaker i for mechanically making and breaking the primaryor lowtension circuit of the magneto system, is op erated by a cam i onthe armature spindle while all the other parts ofthe device are carriedupon the inside of, and incloscd within, a circular casing 2 that isrotatably mounted on the front end of the armature casing as shown inFig. 2.

The primary windingjrom the armature terminates in a suita'bb-irfiulatedcontact plate i from which the low tension current is collected by ani'nsulated brushi that is mounted in the front of the contact-breakercase and is in electrical connection with the contact-hreaker as well aswith the condenser of the system.

A metallic arm i having connection with the low-tension armature\vindingdhrougb the brush or contact i is mounted on the inner face ofthe contact-breaker case s1) as to move with the latter when. theignition is being advanced or retarded, and is also arran ed to carry aplatinum tipped screw 2' or adjusting the distance between the points ofthe cam-operated'contact breaker. To provide for the adjustment oi thecontact screw or for the inspection of the device when the magneto isrunning, the upper part of the case is cut/ away at iand a metallic capor cojer i having a similar cutaway part or gap 1' is arranged toinclose the contact-breaker case so as to be both rotatable thereon andde tachable. Normally, the clearance 7'7 in the case is closed bv asolid part of the cap,

but by turning the latter so at. to bring both,

clearances into register, the interior ol the scaidcase is renderedaccessible and the contact maker may be inspected or adjusted even whenin action. Preferably the cap or cover is held in position by a springarm i which can be turned aside when it is rcquired to remove said capand may also be used as a circuit connection between the contact breakerand the condenser, in which case one end of the said spring is a rangedto b ar on an external-metallic stud having an electrical connectionwith the lowtension collector brush. The screw or fitting that connectsthe said spring arm with the condenser terminal may also be used forwiring the magneto low tension to the switch whereby said magneto may beshort-circuited to earth when coil ignition is in use or when the engineis not running. It will be understood from the foregoing that, in theparticular arrangement shown. the breaking of the magneto primarycircuitis timedor adarmed and retarded by turning the contact breaker covcr andparts mounted therein so as to alter thepositions of the contact breakerarm relative to the cam 21 on the armature spindle, whereas in the caseof the coil contact breaker where the rocking arm is mounted on thestationary part of the distributor casing, the timing of the contactbreaking action is effected by shifting the cam relative to the saidarm. As the distributor plate (I and the cam 11 of the coil contactbreaker, are connected with one anotherand are mounted on and driven bythe distributor shaft, they must necessarily turn with one another onthe cam being shifted for timing the ignition when the high tensioncurrent is being obtained by the use of the coil and accumnlatm',anitthe synchroniZing of the distrilmtion of the high-tension current isnecessarily conse lit) queutial to the altering of the timing, but i 3in order to provide for a similar synchronism when the magneto is in useand the contact-breaker k is inoperative, the distribatermust also bemechanically connected to the movable part of the magneto contactbreaker so that any alteration in the timin of the action of the lattershallsimnltaneously set the distributer plate backward or forward, asthe case may be. I may mechanically connect. these parts in any suitable manner that will insure their movement in unison relative to thedriving gear an the armature, but prefer to arrange for theirsimultaneous movement by providing the armature casing withsuitable-bearings y' to support an actuating rod j which extends underthe magneto and is connected at its forward end,.by means of a lever andlink 7'", 1', to the rotatable casing i of the magneto contact breakeras well as to the hand lever or other device by'which'the advancesparkgear in controlled, while the other end carries another lever or arm 7"which extends through an opening in the sleeve or pedestal that inclosesthe distributershaft and is provided with a stud j to engage with or actcam-wise upona collar or groove that is formed upon'or in the saidshaft, as shown in Fi I The lower end of the distributor shaft isconhected to the hub ofthe driven skew or worm gear by a stud j engagingwith an inclined or helical slot or groove j of suitable pitch, whileits upper end is: as basalready been described, slidably feathered tothe contact-breaker cam and rotary distribquter plate, the wholearrangement being such as to insure that when the shaft is raised orlowered through the actuating rod and lever, both it and the cam anddistributer plate are turned or rotated together through a correspondingangle relative to the gear wheel. This synchronizes the coil low-tensioncontact breaker and the high tension distributor, while by virtue of thelinkage of-thc said actuating rod j to the magneto contact-breaker aswell as to the distributor plate, the said contact breaker is also movedin unison with the distributor when the ignition timing gear isoperated. By reason of the fact that the coil and accumulator systemdemands a further range of advance and retard movementthan the magnetoas a consequence of the lag in the coil due to primary saturation andmagnetic re-- luctance, it is necessary to provide for this incrementbeing available when the coil is being used, and such provision can 'bemade by modifying the length and pitch of the inclined slot inthe'sleeve that drives the cam and distributor shaft.

By virtue of the above described arrange-- ment, no alteration has to bemade in any part of the timing gear in changing over from magneto tocoil or vice-versa as all the connections are permanently made for en"abling the distributor to work etticiently with either method ofignition and for synchronizing the distributing action with the timingof the low-tension break of either the magneto or the coil, whichevermay be in service.

Special provision is made to admit of the combined machine being readilyadapted to any engines irrespective of whether the lat ter are designedto drive the magneto-arma-- ture in the clock-wise or counter clockwisedirection, and also to facilitate the adjustment of thearmature to suiteither direction oi. running, as well as to enable such setting to besubsequently. checked and adjusted (if necessary) without involving theopening up of the armature casing or the dismantling of any part of theappliance. So far as the coil contact breaker is concerned, this willoperate effectively whichever way the cam and distributer shaft is runso that no al teration is required to be made in this part to adapt sameto either direction of rum ning, but the cams for actuating the mag netocontact-breaker are set in certain dcii nite relationship to thearmature so as to insure that the low-tension circuit shall be brokenwhen the armature is in the maximum voltage postion. This relation, of

course, varies with the direction in which the armature and cam are run,and the camring 2' is therefore made detachable and re versible, whichenables the same to be set with its cam-lifts at the correct angleforward or rearward of a line taken through the center ofthe armatureand shaft. The cam ring is detachably held in position means of ashouldered retaining nut which is threaded. into the end of the armaturespindle. The line above referred to, which is taken through the centerof the armature and shaft and with respect to which.

the cam ring is set, is indicated by the let.

ter D in the diagrams Figs. 8, 9 and 10 which respectively indicate thebeginning of the maximum voltage position of the armature and itsrelation to the distribute:- plate when the machine set. for runningiii-the clockwise direction. (Fig. 8;) when the armature is at theneutral or zero position (Fig. 9); and the beginning of the maximumvoltage position when the niachine is set for running in theanti-clockwise direction (Fig. 10). The setting of the reversible camring with the cams in the right relationship to the armature is the onlyalteratioi'i that is required in the contact breaker. but it is alsonecessarily essentialof the-armature in proper step 3 ngine, propose tofix the armato its shait'or to secure the said J- l that its verticalaxis (indicated I I n D in the diagrams) has a fixed relationship to thecenter line I raft. I' also form on that part i which extends. outwardlybe- -'\'e end of the machine, a slot or which bears the samerelationship t n: center line does the vertical axis of inclosed orboxed -np armatrrr'e and I ich' is adapted to be engaged by a loose r II iccc or detachable pointer '12 that is d to said shaft only when it isdeto set, alter-or test the timing and 1 is, of course, held by the SlOtln the position with respect to the engine shaft as the armature itself.Then I nde on the outside of the drive end of armature casing, a set ofpermanent intor markings (A, B and G in the diaun) which correspondrespectively to the maximum position of armature for running, the zeroposition, and. the mun position of-the armature for antivise running.The index piece has an aperture with points at n which are alinable withthe center of the shaft and armature, and when the said index pieceisattached to the shaft, as shown in the diagrams, the ion of the armatureis at once indicated and by taking a reading from the relative itions ofthe center points n and one or JiilUl' of the mark' igs A, B and C, itcan be I uncdiately ascertained Whether the armar: is in the correctin-step position that it she It have when the working piston is at ofits stroke. This reading or k can lc taken without dismantling a cart orthe machine or uncoupling it n !he er nc, but the making of any admcnt othe arm the "thafinay be nec- :nd also the firstiadapting or setting i iline to run in the desired direction, A n be r adily ciiected by the aidof the inmerely disconnecting the driving llOlll the engine and withoutdisturbj-- A any part. of the magneto itself.

a the application of the invention to a i -containcd combination inwhich the distrilmtcr and coil contact-breaker casing is arranged in aninclined position above the front of the armature as shown in Figs. 11and 12 only very slight modifications are here v. The distributor shaftis inclined, as also is the casing or sleeve for inclosing same and itis n'ctcrably arranged above the i mt ll'flslilg and inside the magnets,in I r plane parallel Io that in which the actnat- I retard niecharod ofthe z'zdvancc and u is g wlacc-di The terminal sockets in the 1 cap orcover of the distributor casarc arrai'igcd vertically and stepped relatothe Ircnt ol the said cover so as to facili'tate the leading 05 of thecables to the respective cylinder plugs while instead of using skew orworm gear to drive the shaft,

I use an arrangement of bevel toothed gears contained in a'casing ofsullicient size to ad mit of the interchangeable application ofdifferent sets of gears in adapting the machine for a four or sixcylinder or other enginc. In the said Figs. 11 and 12 the same lettersare used to indicate thedifierent parts as are employed-fordistinguishing the cor-' responding parts in Figs. 1 to 6. ,B the use ofan inclined'and inclos'ed distri uter shaft, the whole arrangement isrendered more compact, as the distributor can be driven by smaller gearsthan would'be pos sible if the shaft was arranged horizontally and it isfurthermore impossible for any 011 from the gear or bearingsto workalong the shaft or its casing and upset the operations of the parts thatare inclosed in the distributer casing.

Having fully described my invention, what I desire to claim and'secureby Letters Patout. is

1 In an ignition system for internal combustion engines the combinationwith a magneto machine aml its high and low tension circuits and a batteand coiL and their high and low tension circuits, of electricallydistinct and structurally independent contact breakers in the two lowtension circuits, means mechanically connecting the contact breakers toprovide for synchronic differentiated adjustments thereof, and a hightension distributor for said high tension;circuits also connected withthe said means, for adjustment thereby synchronously with the adjustmentof the low tension contact breakers.

2. In an ignition system, the combination with a magneto machine and itshigh and low tension circuitsand aabattery and coil and their high andlow tension circuits, of a rotary high tension current distributor forthe said high tension circuits, the distributor being driven from thearmature of the machine, a contact breaker combined with the distributorand connected up in the low tension circuit of the coil, an electricallydis tinct magneto circuit breaker, operated directly from the armatureshaft and including an adgust-ing part, and mechanical conncctions or eecting synchromc differentiated adjustments of the magneto contactbreaker as one element and of the distributor and the battery and coilcontact breaker combined therewith as another element.

The combination with the armature shaft of a magneto machine, a magnetolow 12 tension contact breaker including a cam mounted on said shaft andoperable for either a clockwise or counter-clockwise rotation of thearmature, and an armature casing having indications thereon of the 3maximum voltage positions of the armature .in' clockitise orcounter-clockwise rnnnirw 3 relation to the armature to indicate theposition of the latter with respect to one of the indications on thearmature easing.

In an ignition system for internal coinhast ion engines, a magnetomachine and its high and low tension circuits, a battery and coil andtheir high and low tension circuits, :1 high tension (listributer forthe high ten sion circuits, electrically distinct contact breakers inthe two low tension circuits, one of thecontact hrealters beingassociated with the (listribnter amtmechanical connections between thecontact breakers for cll'ecting avnchronous tlitlerentiatetl adjustmentsthereof.

In testimony whereot I have hereunto set my hand in PIGHCEHO of twosubscribing \vit messes.

R OB Eli? F111 Dl lltlOK HALL,

1 Wfitnesses:

IIENRY Noa'rox 'Smcann'rr, lly. Summary. 4

